Swiftsure Ranch Therapeutic Equestrian Center

Over the next five years, our main goal is to expand our operations by 15% and improve our
capacity to serve participants who are challenged with mobility.

As of January 2022, Swiftsure is in the process of acquiring an ADA-accessible carriage to expand opportunities to engage in equine-assisted activities for participants whose conditions have previously prevented them from participating fully. Driving is an alternative equestrian activity enabling those who cannot ride astride to be able to improve their strength, motor skills, or social, emotional, behavioral, or cognitive skills through the therapeutic driving activity.

Swiftsure will make the ADA-accessible carriage available to any of our referred participants who can benefit, and are introducing a new focus on military veterans as we are launching veteran-oriented programs in 2022, in addition to maintaining our flagship programs with local schools, at-risk youth, seniors, and individuals facing physical, emotional, mental, or social challenges.

Swiftsure's instructors are all certified by the Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship Intl. (PATH Intl.). In 2021, we added PATH-certified driving instruction to our program offerings. We have two indoor arenas, an outdoor riding ring, a campsite for weekend group activities, and miles of riding trails including a special "Sensory Trail" that engages all of the senses while on horseback.

Our instructors work with our participants and their referring caregivers to design customized plans for each participant so that they can identify and work toward their individual goals. Instructors assess each participant's progress in writing to track their progress in the program. We solicit feedback from participants and caregivers, and use that feedback to improve our programs overall, and to realign each participant's program activities with their goals as they show forward progress.

In 2021, we obtained grant funding to purchase and ship a custom ADA-accessible carriage, which is due to arrive in early to mid 2022. In the meantime, we have begun teaching driving using a training carriage. We anticipate that once we have a wheelchair-accessible carriage, demand for this activity will grow more quickly.

We also have begun to build our veteran's programs with new participants referred to us from local clinics, and are in contact with the Veterans Administration for future referrals from their Recreational Therapy representative.